Customer Reviews

Women of Courage: Inspiring Stories from the Women Who Lived Them

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I am a twenty-one year old who is emerging into the excitement, confussion, and power of womanhood. I was incredibly blessed in the sense that I was exposed to Katherine's book in its' early stages. "Women of Courage" moved and touched me in ways that nothing else has. I would finish a story and feel blessed as well as excited to be a woman. I also had the potent experience of hearing Katherine speak at my college last month. The event reinforced the power that this book holds between the beautifully written stories. I know that after the event my peers walked away feeling a little bit stronger, prouder, and more courageous. I truly encourage all women, especially women my age, who like my myself are beginning to shed the layers of the little girl, to read this book. I also encourage you to write her, e-mail her, invite her to speak at your school and share her book more intimatly with you and your peers. Most importantly, this book will teach you and inspire you to cross lines that you once believed to be boundries.

In "Women of Courage", Katherine Martin has done a superb job of depicting forty courageous women who have followed their dreams, lived their commitments and made a difference in the world. These women are of all ages and are drawn from all professions: from art to politics; from explorers to activists. Some are famous and high-profile; some are relatively unknown. Each of these women has evinced a remarkable courage, openness and determination not to give up her dream - whether writing about the feminine identity of God, crossing the South Pole, or adopting a baby girl from China.

Too often, as Mary Pipher (the author of "Reviving Ophelia," and one of the women profiled is this book) says, courage has been defined as courage in the face of physical danger, the courage of a superhero or of Rambo. With this book, Ms. Martins suggests that courage comes in many aspects, all of which are important and valuable. I would especially recommend this book as a gift to young women, although both genders and all ages should find it enjoyable.

As a teacher of mind/body/spirit work, I found, Women of Courage, to be an outstanding example of women who are not only connected to themselves, but to their beliefs and to the guts and grace of the feminine spirit. The fighting nature in all women is elegantly presented, with each story showing us how the balance between action, masculine energy, along with the open and receptive power of the feminine energy rocks the world into change! Breaking molds, creating new visions with expanded choices, these women show us how to use our voice and our heart. They remind us to listen, to feel, to not be afraid, and to reflect upon our daily actions and lives as valuable and sacred journeys that can make a difference. This book reminds us that giving back is the way to heal, and that when we encourage and re-awaken courage in all women, we help the feminine spirit emerge into higher states of consciousness. Thank you for reminding me of the great joy and pride I feel to be part of the feminine gendre.

There is a heartfelt need among women and girls to celebrate women's history. In her outstanding work, Katherine Martin has put before us a diverse group of role models from which every woman can learn and be proud.

Anthologies of little stories are all the rage these days, but few are as well written and inspire the genuine emotion and admiration as this book. I recommend it for women and men alike.

This is a book that tells the stories of women -- some famous, some you've never heard of -- who, at some point in their lives found themselves in situations that terrified them. For some, it was the emotional terror of doing something they did not believe they could do; for some, confronting an abusive relationship; for some, physically accomplishing something that seemed impossibly arduous. Hearing their stories makes you weep. Their courage is often so quiet -- no big fanfare, no publicity, no one else even knows about it. But, sharing those life-changing moments with them changes your own life. Many of their stories inspired me to believe in myself, and reminded me of the everyday love and compassion and commitment that makes humans heroic. I keep this book by my desk, and pick it up whenever I need a burst of encouragement.

Katherine Martin has created a wonderful resource book for women. There is hardly a story in the bunch where I wasn't moved to tears, as an ordinary woman, faced with challenging circumstances, made a set of extraordinary decisions.

Facing fear head-on, so many of these women found a courage that is often undiscovered in most of us. It seemed to me that in many instances they were fulfilling some part of what their soul was sent here to do and learn. In some cases I think they would have preferred that it was someone else's destiny to make it happen, none of their stories are about easy painless solutions, but the choices they make in the face of their respective situations make them "poster women" for what courageous women look and act like in today's world. They take responsibility and ownership for issues/circumstances and most importantly for themselves in ways that remove them from victim status and put them in conscious leadership of their destiny. Because of these women, my daughters can think differently about how they can contribute to the world they walk through. A must read for women, their daughters and the men who love them.

The power that derives from experiencing the stories of Women of Courage comes from the very core of what it means to be human, to be a part of this planet, in this universe at this point in material time. We are these women. We have all done something courageous in our lives. We all have stories that come bubbling to the surface of our minds once we are touched by any of the stories in this remarkable collection.

Katherine Martin has compiled a very diverse group of women's stories - most didnt set out on some courageous quest - but rather found themselves in circumstances where they could not take the easy road - either because they chose not to or there was no alternative - their courage sometimes shows up in how they decided to respond to their situation - they could have been victims and left it at that - instead they got proactive - even in the face of grave consequences for themselves - This book provides a model for women and should be required reading for Women's Studies across the country.

Courage indeed has many definitions. The smallest of bold gestures, unrecognized perhaps, often impacts lives in great ways. Thank you, Katherine Martin, for this book.

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